Stephen James Associates

I was contacted by a local recruiter (Atlanta) from this company inquiring as to my availability for employment opportunities. The caller mentioned finding my resume on Career Builder and, as I am currently seeking a new role, I listened and answered his questions. He sent a follow up e-​mail after this phone screening which had a link to their website so I checked their website and discovered they currently have absolutely no available positions in Georgia (let alone in Atlanta). I have no real problem with their building a client list of potential candidates but I do feel somewhat misled by this recruiter.

I was contacted by a sales representative, Max Butera, at this company regarding my availability for employment. Mr. Butera stated my professional background and experience were aligned with open analyst positions at UCSF, a client of his.
After conducting a phone screening, I was invited to come into his office to interview for the positions he contacted me regarding.
During the interview however, it became apparent that Mr. Butera had not in fact prepared for our meeting, demonstrated by the questions he posed, and unfamiliarity he had of my resume and qualifications.
After providing a copy of my resume for his reference, he stated that I was not qualified for any positions at UCSF, his client — who he stated was unrealistic in their expectations of clients but who «was getting really desperate» so I might have a chance to interview with them.
His behavior during the interview surprised me and struck me as unprofessional. The office resembled a boiler room set up from the 80s, Mr. Butera was 30 minutes late in greeting me. While his attire was professional, the laptop he brought with him was so old and continually froze when he attempted to retrieve information, which did not inspire confidence. His physical behavior was odd to say the least, he appeared to be suffering some kind of allergic reaction based upon the way he jerked his head back, twitched his eyes and and mouth, and continually cleared his throat. I resisted the urge to ask if he was alright, only to avoid drawing more attention to awkwardness of the situation.
This was easily one of the most unusual interviews I’ve been on. From the strange behavior of the sales person, to lack of resources the company seemed to provide for their staff to conduct business, and finally the 2 hour commute each way from my home to interview for a job I was convinced by phone was a good match — only to be told during the interview that I was unqualified. Being assured that his client at UCSF was desperate so I shouldn’t worry didn’t help how I evaluated the experience either.
I do appreciate that dealing with staffing agencies is ‘hit or miss’ so to speak; it’s often a last resort for reasons not unfamiliar to folks who have dealt with agencies. However, I expected a greater degree of professionalism from this company based upon their clientele. UCSF is one of the largest employers in the bay area, an excellent place to work, and professional in their hiring practices. Moreover, during the interview Max shared with me that second to Robert Half International, Stephen James Associates was the forerunner in bay area staffing firms — despite being a start up company.
Perhaps my experience of this sales person was an isolated incident. Either way, Stephen James Associates — as a start up in its infancy — would be wiser to cultivate a more professional staff. Word of mouth experience travels fast in this industry.